NHL: Former Princeton standout Kevin Westgarth navigating new water with Carolina

AP Photo
Kevin Westgarth, left, won the Stanley Cup last season with the Kings but was traded to the Rangers in the offseason. Westgarth, a Princeton University product, is married to Bill Cowher's daughter, Meagan.

NEWARK — Life continues to be surreal for former Princeton University hockey player Kevin Westgarth.

For example, after his Carolina team defeated the Devils on Tuesday night, Westgarth was talking to a reporter about winning the Stanley Cup while with the Los Angeles Kings in June when Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Cowher walked by and stopped to chat for a bit.

Westgarth is married to Cowher’s daughter, Meagan, who was one of the most prolific players in Princeton women’s basketball history, but spent plenty of time away from his new bride and father-in-law as one of the NHLPA leaders in negotiating a new collective-bargaining agreement and ending the lockout.

“It was obviously a long and often frustrating process doing the negotiations for the new CBA, but we’re all really happy obviously to have it done,” Westgarth said.

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“Obviously, it was incredibly important for respecting what guys have done before us and then for the guys that are playing now and for the guys who will be playing almost 10 years from now, because that’s where we’re at (with the CBA) right now. I came from Princeton, which doesn’t have a ton of NHL tradition and played with one organization, so it was really cool to meet a bunch of other players as well.

“I think with that, even though I’d been in the league for a little bit, it was really cool to do that and get a little more comfortable with everybody and the situation. I’d like to bring some of that confidence and leadership to Carolina.”

The 29-year-old had been with the Kings organization after graduating Princeton with a degree in psychology, but was traded just prior to the start of the season in exchange for Anthony Stewart.

“Getting moved, it’s tough to leave that group of guys,” he said. “I’ve been with that organization and a lot of those guys for six years, but I think it was a great move and a great opportunity for me in Carolina to play a little more, and to just get in the lineup and contribute a little more.”

As for his old team, the Kings have had a bit of a Stanley Cup hangover — they’re 12th in the Western Conference with just 10 points in their first 11 games — a big surprise to many in the hockey world, Westgarth included.

“They had such a deep team in Los Angeles, and obviously they’re struggling a little bit right now,” he said. “But looking from here, I know they’re going to right the ship. They’ve got such a good squad that it’s impossible not to.”

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The Devils, of course, were on other side of the Stanley Cup outcome last year. But probably wouldn’t have gotten that far without Adam Henrique, who scored the Eastern Conference Finals series-clinching goal against the Rangers in Game 6 and came out of nowhere to be a finalist for the Calder Trophy.

And yet, somehow, this year seems even crazier. The 23-year-old started the season with the AHL’s Albany Devils, and scored eight points in 16 games before thumb surgery caused him to miss nearly two months.

“Obviously, with the lockout, it made things a little different,” Henrique said. “But it was a good opportunity where I had a place to play no matter what, so I treated it like a normal season. I didn’t change anything in my off-season because of what could have happened.

“Getting injured obviously was tough, but it still allowed me to have a bit of a mental break from everything. I couldn’t do anything for a while, which was good. Coming back from that, I felt solid again. When I was able to start working out again, I knew I wanted to come back as strong as last year and I needed to have my game where it was.”

The talented winger did more than just pick up where he left off after his playoff performance that netted 13 points in 24 games and put him on the map, lighting the lamp four times in his first eight games back in New Jersey.

“I don’t think they’re changing their game plans to stay on me,” said Henrique through a smile.

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A bevy of NHL draft picks and prospects, led by sophomore forward Johnny Gaudreau (104th overall pick, Calgary, 2011), who is from Carneys Points, helped No. 4 Boston College past Northeastern University, 6-3, to capture its fourth consecutive Beanpot tournament in Boston on Monday night. The senior class became the first in the 61-year history of the prestigious event to go 4-for-4.

“The senior class, and what they’ve done over the past four years, they’re really model citizens for Boston College hockey,” said Eagles head coach Jerry York.

York, the NCAA’s all-time leader in wins, has six seniors on his roster this season: D Patch Alber, F Brooks Dyroff, G Parker Milner, F Pat Mullane, D Patrick Wey and F Steven Whitney. Milner should attract plenty of interest from NHL teams as an undrafted free agent once the season is over.

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The Rangers assigned veteran defenseman Steve Eminger to the AHL’s Connecticut Whale on Tuesday. Eminger, 29, had only played in four games this season and had been a healthy scratch in six of the team’s last seven contests.